March 19, 2014

Want gutsy leadership? Look to Canada.

It's called backbone. Try it some time.

Vice president Biden has traveled to Poland to show support for Ukrainian sovereignty on the part of the United States. Perhaps more aptly, he's trying to quell U.S. allies' fears since president Obama infamously cancelled the missile defense shield in Eastern Europe years ago to calm Russian nerves. Actually, it has bolstered Russian nerves. Putin has no fear of Obama or the United States because he sees only weakness. Good job Neville Chamberlain.

“Canada remains united with its allies in recognizing the government of Ukraine, and in supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty," Harper said in a statement. "We will continue to work with our allies to support efforts to restore the country to stability and unity so that the people of Ukraine can thrive and prosper free of intimidation and threat."

Harper will meet with Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukraine's interim prime minister, in Kyiv on March 22 to discuss how Canada and its allies can continue to provide support, the statement said.

The fact is that Canada is not the largest player on the stage. But it is notable that the country's Prime Minister is putting himself in a situation that is risky. Russia is setting the pace of events and could march into sovereign Ukraine territory at any time.

Kudos to Prime Minister Harper for having the guts to do something president Obama should have done already.